Sri Lanka Decide To Play In Pakistan For First Time Since 2009

Sri Lanka have decided to play in Pakistan for the first time since their team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009 after being left "fully satisfied" with "stringent security measures". The two teams will meet in a Twenty20 international at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, 29 October after what Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) described as "a thorough evaluation". Teams stopped visiting Pakistan after the attack, in which gunmen killed six policemen and two civilians and injured several Sri Lanka players and coaches.

SLC said it had reached its decision to return after assistance from the government of Sri Lanka, the government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board and independent security experts. The match will be the last fixture of a tour that began on 28 September. The other games have been taking place in the United Arab Emirates, where Pakistan have played almost all of their 'home' internationals since the 2009 attack.

In 2015, Zimbabwe played three ODIs and two T20 internationals in a series that was overshadowed by a suicide bombing outside the Lahore stadium. Last month, Pakistan hosted three Twenty20 matches against a World XI under a heavy police presence.

Former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood, who was part of the Word XI, said the team was given "head of state" protection. SLC will finalise a squad of 22 by 17 October, and announce the final 15 on 20 October. The statement said SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala will accompany the team to Lahore and "extended his best wishes to PCB chairman Najam Sethi and his board on the occasion of this historic game".